Analyze the Cover
by xiiluvyuhhx
Summary: Ever wondered what the apple on the cover of Twilight means?
1. Analyze the Cover

_Claire Bryman / 1st period / 9/12/08 / Reading Assignment – column B, box two_

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The cover of the novel _Twilight_ by Stephenie Meyer is a solid black background with a picture of a pair of pale arms (presumably female and belonging to the main character, Bella Swan) and focusing on a bright red apple. In my opinion, the cover represents temptation and forbidden knowledge, which is the core of the problems in the plot.

My main reasoning for this conclusion is that on the opening page of _Twilight_ is a verse from the Bible, Genesis 2:17. It reads: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." In the book of Genesis, God tells Adam and Eve that they cannot eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or else they shall perish. The devil then tricks Eve into eating the apple first; she gives into the temptation, and Adam soon follows. The relation between Adam and Eve and Bella and Edward is the fact that the "fruit" is forbidden; yet in both cases, they take it anyway. In _Twilight_, Bella's life is in constant danger because Edward is drawn to her and consistently thirsts for her blood. She finds out that Edward is a vampire, and yet she chooses to stay with him anyway. No one is supposed to know Edward and the rest of his family, the Cullens, are vampires. That is part of the "forbidden knowledge" category. Edward often makes it clear that he is a threat to her life when he is with her, yet Bella is so drawn to him that she comes on to the problem more strongly than Edward does. There is also temptation on Edward's part – he knows that with one small twitch of his hand, he could crush Bella and her life could be over. Bella's blood smells more intoxicating than anyone else's ever has in his eighty years of life, and Edward has to stop himself many times in the story from killing her.

Another point you could draw from Biblical terms is Genesis 2:21-22: "So the Lord God caused man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man." What is interesting about this is that earlier in the chapter, God tells Adam that he can name all the animals, yet Adam said that he still did not have proper companion. So God created Eve to be his helper, and he makes Eve _from_ Adam. In the _Twilight_ saga, Bella wants to become a vampire as well, so that she can live forever with Edward. But Bella wants Edward's venom to be in her bloodstream, to be made out of Edward's body, just as Eve was made of Adam.

Comparing Bella to Eve, they are much the same. Eve chooses to bite into the forbidden apple, despite knowing the consequences. Bella knows the consequences of what could happen as a byproduct of loving a vampire, and also the consequences of her desire to _becoming_ a vampire. In one of the later novels in the _Twilight_ saga, Bella realizes what becoming a vampire really means; yet Bella's attraction to Edward, much like Eve's attraction to the apple, is too powerful to overcome. Both Bella's and Eve's decisions thrust them into different scenarios that are completely different from the ones in which they originated. Yet Bella and Eve differ because Bella's choice to become a vampire was made out of love for Edward, and Eve's choice to eat the apple was made out of selfishness.

Comparing Edward to Adam, they both reveal self-control. Edward does not harm Bella in any physical way, and Adam does not eat the apple. But they both give in to the temptation in later terms.

I do not know if this was the way Stephenie Meyer planned for her readers to analyze the cover of her novel, but if it is, I appreciate the way she is drawing the connection between the Bible and this fictional scenario. Even if I could change the cover of this novel, I would not, because I think that the apple sums up almost all of Stephenie Meyer's plot structure.

Because Edward is what some people may refer to as an "abomination of nature" because he is unusual, Stephenie Meyer could be saying that knowledge is not a bad thing. But because he is different, Meyer could be showing that you can cross lines and be with different people, and be friends and be in love with people who are different than you in their religions, and their basic, complete human being.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah. People have been wondering what it meant. So, yeah. There it is.**

**Thanks to stepheniemeyer. com and twilight source. com for helping me spell abomination. **

**Yes, I did figure this out by myself. No, I did not know that this was on Wikipedia. Whoa! Exciting! That would have been so much easier than trying to figure it out alone. I guess I'm just stupid.**

**New Moon: the wilting flower represents Bella's sorrow. If it has symbolism at all. Let's pretend it does, yeah?**

**Eclipse: The ripping ribbon represents Bella and her struggle with her love for Jacob and her ties with Edward and the Cullens.**

**Breaking Dawn: The chess pieces represent the vampire and human Bella. Most prominent on the cover is the Queen, the most powerful piece on the chess board. This represents the vampire, as it is strong and powerful (and white!). The pawn is in the background, red to show human blood. The pawn is the weakest on the chessboard, like Bella is weak comapred to all vampires. Okay, so apparently that's on Wikipedia, too. Bah. Anyway... yeah. **

**Um.**

**Yeah. I'm not saying this is exactly what Stephenie was intending when she published the book, but this is the way I drew conclusions. So.**

**Bye.**


	2. PrePlanning

**

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**

A/N: So, when Leah and I were preparing to write this story we're doing together, we had some pretty good times.

**This is just here, in this story randomly because I didn't have room elsewhere to put it.**

**So.**

**Enjoy yourself.**_

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_

Some of our pre-planning notes, that strayed off course...:

* * *

_Me:_ I'm allergic to homework. I break out in yawns.

_Leah:_

-laughs hysterically-

You

break

out

in

YAWNS?!

hahahaha  
-Emmett speaks-  
Maybe she's going into hysterics  
-slaps me-  
-I throw Rosalie's favorite pair of shoes out the window  
Emmett (horrified) NO!!  
-he runs off-

* * *

_Leah:_

And the TWILIGHT SOUNDTRACK??  
No fair.

Bah.

Alice: (Calmly) Jasper...  
Jasper (Uses his freaky powers to sort of drug me)  
Me: (Hysterically) HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

* * *

_Me:_

shakes head  
You crack me up.--  
Emmett: You're on crack?  
Rosalie: I KNEW it. That's why you had the guts to spill Gatorade on my  
designer purse!  
Alice: OMG. That's against the law! FLABBERGASP! -moves towards me omiously  
using stange arm motions-  
Me: -squeak-  
Bella: Is it in YOU?!  
Dory: Hey look, grill!  
Grill: SWIM AWAY!  
Whale: sfhasjfsdfjsdfkgpoooooo!

* * *

_Leah:_

Emmett: LOOK, THERE'S DORA!  
Rosalie: What? How do you know her?  
Alice: Rose, she's, like, 9 years old  
-Emmett kisses Dora-  
Rosalie: THATS IT!  
-Rosalie beats up Dora-  
Emmett: AWH ROSE she was my friend!  
-Captain from Spongebob: ARE YOU READY KIDS?  
Emmett: EYE EYE CAPTAIN  
Captain: I CANT HEAR YOU  
EMMETT: EYE EYE CAPTAIN!  
Alice: Rosalie, um, this may not be a good time to mention that I spilt pixie  
stix on your make-up and spilt wine on your white pants and ripped your  
leather pumps  
Rosalie: Well, while we're confessing, Bella...Edward lost your guys's  
wedding ring  
-Bella blows up-: WHAT!?  
-Edward runs, buys a one way plane ticket to the Bermuda Triangle-  
-5 mins later-  
Bella (holding Emmett's shirt): TELL ME WHERE HE IS  
Emmett: THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE  
-Bella does there-  
-She dumps Edward in the ocean-

* * *

_Me:_

Rosalie: -shopping online- Oh, my vampire, look at that SCARF, Alice!  
-Alice looks, thouroghly examaning the clothing-  
Emmett: -eating fruit loops and watching Hannah Montana- OH MY GOD!  
Edward: -looks up from making out with Bella and states obvious- Um, Emmett,  
you're a vampire, you can't eat.  
Emmett: -gulp- bite me. -was his reply...-  
Alice -from earlier-: OMG it looks like the machine threw up a rainbow!!  
Emmett: EDGAR ALLEN POE MARRIED HIS COUSIN?! NO ! -heaves the fruit  
loops all over power outlet-  
Rosalie: EWWWWWW!  
Computer: -eerie hissing and crackling nosies-  
Edward: OMG RUN!  
Bella: -bewildered- Wha?  
Emmett: What the hell? Edward, can you read the computer's mind?!  
-wipes mouth with sleeve casually-  
Alice: No, moron, it's logic!  
-everyone runs out of house- -emmett stays inside to watch his throw up  
disolve the computer outlet (mixed with venom, of course)-  
Computer: -BOOM!!-  
Emmett: Oh Sugar Honey Iced Tea! &W(&#)&(&~)#&#~!!  
Edward: -grumbles- Good thing he's indestructable. -resumes snogging Bella-

* * *

_Leah:_

Alice: (Watching What Not To Wear) EW Look at that girl's outfit!  
Rosalie: Omg I know! Checks and stripes don't mix!  
Edward: (Looks up from making out w/Bella) I don't understand why girls are  
obsessed with fashion shakes his head  
Emmett: (points) OOH OOH POKEMON IS ON! Can we please watch it? Huh, Alice?  
Can we? Bounces up & down  
Alice: (Sighs) Fine Emmett. Flips channel  
Emmett: (Squeals) YAY!  
Jasper: (Casually) So, Emmett...I beat your highscore on guitar Hero. Runs  
like hell  
Emmett: (Enraged) WHAT!! Charges after Jasper  
Bella: (thoughtfully) You know, I'll never get what it is with guys and video  
games shakes her head  
Edward: (amused) Bella, honey, that's because only guys are good at them.  
laughs  
Bella: (Outraged) Excuse me, Mr. Cullen? Do you think that, since I'm a girl,  
I can't play video games? Raises eyebrow and pushes out of his arms  
Edward: (Stuttering) No No! That's not what I meant! waves frantically  
Alice: (Sing-Songy) Oh, Yes it is! Laughs  
From outside: BOOM! Car Alarms Go Off  
Jasper walks inside  
Jasper: Uhm, Yeah. Emmett, kinda, sorta, started World War 3...  
Emmett: (From Outside) DID NOT! I Just, um. accidentaly set off a bomb which  
led to everyone else setting off their bombs... twiddles thumbs  
Bella & Edward: Shrugs and resumes intense make-out session

* * *

_Me:_

Emmett: -dancing and singing- Happy days, happy days, happy days are going  
all the way!! Tonight, lightning strikes! Lets goooo into Twilight! -eyes  
close and sways to his own screeching-  
Rosalie: Bella, come hither. This will look fabulous on you! -holds up  
caveman costume-  
Alice: OMG. That is SO Fetch!  
Esme: Indeed!  
Rosalie: Fetch? Alice, the Mean Girls era is SO over.  
Bella: -looks at costume- ...Jesus...!  
Jasper: ...Loves you!  
Bella: ... Um. Thank you, Jasper.  
Jasper: -grunt- -goes back to sulking-  
-Edward walks in, looking only at Bella and running into Emmett who is still  
dancing with his eyes closed-  
Emmett: -opens eyes at contact- -random fangirl scream- OH MY GOD IT'S CEDRIC  
DIGGORY!  
Edward: -bewildered- ...?  
Emmett: -not waiting for reply- Oh my god, Cedric, do you wear boxers or  
briefs?!

* * *

_Leah:_

Emmett: (Singing Off-Key) I'm a Barbie Girl! In a Barbie Worrrrrld! -dances  
wildly in elmo boxers-  
Alice: (Watching TV) EMMETT SHUT UP! -Turns back to Deal or No Deal- Come on,  
Case #8, Come on!  
Jasper:(Sitting next to Alice) Alice, it's just a TV show..  
Edward: (Comes in, looking miserable) Bella's PMSing again! When does it  
stop? -Moans and stuffs head in a pillow-  
Rosalie: -Snickers- I dunno. It all depends. What'd you do this time?  
Edward: -Looks up- What did_ I_ do? I didn't do anything...  
-Door bursts open-  
Bella: (Furious) EDWARD ANTHONEY MASEN CULLEN! YOU FORGOT OUR ONE MONTH  
ANNIVERSARY! -Screams-  
Alice: (Muttering) Uh-oh. Run like hell and buy her a gift, Edward...  
-Edward takes off with his super speed to the nearest Tiffany's-  
Bella: (Happily) Ha-Ha! I knew it'd work! Great plan, Rose! -High Fives her-  
-Bella sits and starts beating Jasper at Guitar Hero-  
Jasper: (Whiney) BELLA! At least let me win for once!  
Emmett: (Laughing) You're getting beat by a girl!  
Jasper: -Sticks his tongue out at Emmett-  
-Emmett shoves Jasper off the couch as Edward comes back-  
Bella: (Pretends to be mad) So what'd you get me?  
Edward: (Nervous) Uhm, well, jewelry, flowers, and, uhm...  
-Another Edward comes inside-  
Bella: (Incredulous and Anrgy) BAH! WHERE'S MY BOYFRIEND?? -Whacks them  
both with a frying pan-  
Real Edward: (Running) OUCH! Bella. It's me! OUCH! Edward!  
-Bella Stops-  
Bella: Then who's that? -points-  
Edward: That's Cedric Diggory.  
Emmett: AHHHH! CEDRIC I LOVE YOU!!  
Rosalie: -Pulls down Cedric's pants- I KNEW IT! BREIFS!

* * *

_Me:_

(from where you left off)  
Cedric: -looks at (no)pants- ...Jesus!  
Jasper: -pauses Guitar Hero (Bella: -huff-)- ...Loves you!  
Cedric: Um. Thank you, freak.  
Jasper: -growls and starts hitting boxer-clad Diggory with Guitar-  
Guitar Hero: -unpauses- -Bella continues playing as if nothing is happening-  
Bella: -sings and presses random buttons- ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE...!  
Jasper: -war cry- ayayayayayayayyyyeeee!  
Bella: -changes song- IT'S RAINING BLOOD!! HUHUHUHUHHUHHHHAUGH!! (starts scream-o-ing)  
Edward: -watches chaos on the couch with Rosalie- -reads Emmett's mind-  
Emmett, I don't think that's a good idea...  
Mircowave: BEEEEP!  
Emmett: -starts pelting popcorn balls at Cedric-  
Cedric: oh my god this place is a madhouse! -insert awesome bristish accent  
here-  
-Cedric begins to run from the house but trips over his pants-  
Alice: -calls to Cedric but eyes still trained on TV- Hey look, he pulled a  
Bella!

* * *

_Leah:_

Edward: (On deal or no deal) Uhh, Case number 10 please!  
Howie: (Suspensful) Janice, Open your case...when we come back!  
Emmett: (In Audience) BOO! NO FAIR! -Throws Popcorn Howie-  
Alice: Emmett, shut up! -pushes him-  
(Emmett flies through the wall to the Banker's HQ)  
Banker: WHO ARE YOU?! NOO MY IDENTITY HAS BEEN REVEALED!  
Emmett: (Amused) BELLA??  
Bella: Nooo, I'm Bella's twin sister, Ella  
Jasper: - throws baby pacifier to Bella-  
Bella: -Shoves pacifier in Emmett's mouth-  
Emmett: (Falls asleep)  
Audience: (Cheers loudly)  
Emmett: (Upset) -Wakes up- WAHHHHHHHHHH! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! WAHHHHHHHHHH!  
-Sucks thumb-  
Bella: (Soothingly) There there, Emmett. I'm here.  
Edward: (Annoyed) Can we please get on with this?  
Howie: Janice, Open your case!  
(Case opens to reveal 1,000,000)  
Bella: (Outraged) -Drops Emmett and throws herself Edward- EDWARD! YOU LOST  
OUR CHANCE THE MILLION!  
-Beats up Edward-  
(Rosalie and Alice Help)  
Alice: THERE GOES MY PORSCHE! THANKS A LOT -Hits him with her purse of  
bricks-  
Jasper: (Calmly to the Camera) And thats all the time we have today! Join us  
next Deal or No Deal!  
-Beating up Noises Fade-

* * *

_Me:_

Bella: -skipping around the Cullen house in circles- Hallejuah, it's raining  
vampires...  
Emmett: (hanging from ceiling) Bella, watch out!  
(Bella looks up) (Emmett falls on top of her)  
Jasper: Oh my God! (to himself) numb the pain, numb the pain...  
Bella: (groans) Holy crow! (feels better a little thanks to Jasper's special  
voodoo)  
Edward: -peels Emmett off Bella- You moron, Emmett! What were you thinking?!  
Emmett: I thought you of all people would know -cheeky grin at Edward-  
Edward: -ignores last comment- So you felt the need to squash Bella?!  
Emmett: Well, see, I was TRYING to be Spiderman...  
Edward: Spiderman isn't real!!  
Emmett: Well, vampires aren't supposed to be real, either.  
Edward: -sigh- Bella, are you okay?  
Bella: HALLEJUAH!  
Edward: ...?  
Bella: IT'S RAINING VAMPIRES!  
Edward: Emmett, you dunderhead, you caused her brain damage!  
Rosalie: No, Edward, she had brain damage before.  
Bella: (either ignores or did not hear Rosalie) OMG. Edward, I know deja vu!  
That'll be my vampire power! I'll be Alice's co-worker! OMG! OMG OMG OMG!  
(Bella resumes singing and skipping, Jasper returns to playing Halo 3,  
Emmett... starts trying to get webs to shoot out of his wrist)

* * *

_Leah:_

Bella: (On American Idol singing Disturbia by Rhianna off-key)  
DISTURBIA!!  
-The crowd grimaces-  
Emmett: (mumbling) How come she's not off the show yet?  
Rosalie: (mumbling) Well, Edward can be very persuasive..  
-In the back room-  
Edward: (Making out with Producer of American Idol)  
-On Stage-  
Simon: Bella, darling, that was absoloutley horrible.  
Bella: (Weeps) Bu-But-My mommy always told me I was a good singer!  
Simon: (Annoyed) Well she obviously lied to you.  
Jasper: (On the ceiling for some reason) DO NOT WORRY, DAMSEL IN DISTRESS!  
SPIDERMAN IS HERE!  
(He's in a spiderman costume, mask & Everything)  
Alice: Jasper, damsels in distress are for Knights, not Spidermen.  
Jasper: (Scratches his hair and comes up with new plan) (Looks at Emmett)  
OH MY GOD! THAT MAN NEEDS CPR! -Jumps down, squishes Bella, gives her brain  
damage, and charges into Emmett-  
Emmett: WHAT THE...  
-HE flies into a wall and surprisingly onto a gurney-  
Jasper: (Gets those shock thingies)  
Emmett: NO JASPER NO!  
Jasper: (Hurridly) CLEAR!  
Bella: (On Stage) I'm a little teapot short and stout...

* * *

_Leah:_

_(we finally worked out one major detail):_

BRILLIANT!  
IDEA!

That's awesome!

Emmett: NO it's not.  
Edward: Yeah it is.  
Jasper: No.  
Bella: Yes.  
Alice: NO.  
Rosalie: Yes, I'll have the Number 4 combo with a diet sprite...  
Everyone else: ROSALIE!  
Rosalie: WHAT?! Oh fine. YES!

* * *

_Leah:_

Emmett: Bella, let's make a bet.  
Bella: What bet..?  
Emmett: I bet 500 dollars that you can't go 2 weeks without kissing Edward. OR  
him kissing you ANYWHERE on your body.  
Bella: !!  
Edward: NO! That's Impossible!  
Emmett: Edward, I am your father..  
Bella: that was random.  
Emmett: But still, do you think you can do it?  
Edward: Maybe  
Bella: yup!  
Alice: -comes downstairs- She's going to lose in about..30 seconds-  
-30 seconds later-  
-Bella & Edward are making out enthusiastically-  
Alice: -smug- Told you

* * *

_Leah:_

Holy crap my cat is climbing up my back

ARGH

JASPER!

Jasper: Okay Leah! -eats cat-  
Me: NO! NOT THAT, STUPID! I MEANT GET HIM OFFA ME!  
Jasper: OOPS. -coughs- Furball!  
Emmett: OOHHH COOL! -bats at it-  
Edward: -sighs- Emmett, come on. Medication time..  
Emmett: -fearful- NOOOO! -Edward drags him into the kitchen-  
Bella, Alice, Rosalie: (In unison): F is for friends who do stuff togeher  
U is for U and me  
N is for anywhere and anytime at all..  
Edward, Emmett, and Jasper: (In unison) Down here in the deep blue sea!

* * *

_Leah:_

OHMYEMMETTCULLEN  
HOLYVAMPIREWEREWOLF  
WHATTHEJACOBBLACK

* * *

**Yeah. So. **

**You don't have to review if you don't want to.**

**What if I said something gay, like... oh, I don't know...**

**BAGPIPES.**

**Would you review then? Eh?**


	3. Hey Katie!

**This is also here, just because I didn't have another place to put it.**

**So, you know how there are a zillion hilarious stories about the Cullens passing notes?**

**Well, I tried that.**

**Where things don't make sense, use your imagination.**

* * *

Katie _Bailey _**Hayden **Me **Mason**

* * *

Hey Katie!

I can't talk!

I must write it down!

Guess what?

…

Avocadoes.

* * *

Your cousin's name is Avocadoes?!

* * *

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas….

…I don't know how to spell that…!

* * *

Claire has dance today!

* * *

I'm a Barbie girl!

* * *

Hey, John Michael? Do you wear boxers, or briefs?

* * *

Starbursts!

* * *

Katie, this is hard!

* * *

Who's desk?

You mean your pencil rolled under Mr. Walker's desk?

HAHAHA. Good job.

* * *

Katie Katie Katie!!

Lights!

I must have Trademark Robert Pattinson sunglasses!!!

* * *

Seagulls!

* * *

Ha, you and Jordan: Meowww! King Kaboodle!

* * *

TSC4E!!!

* * *

OMC!

I saw Sydney!

When?

Two Fridays ago!

….

* * *

I have, like, this random pencil in my jacket pocket...?

* * *

Balloons?

**Yes, Claire, balloons.**

Don't ask me!

Cuz I don't know!

* * *

Let's beat her up for it!

Attack Lacey!!

* * *

They'll eventually pop.

**Yes, but where do they go?**

Ask the teacher!

**He just said "Helium will float out of the planet"!**

Yes, I know! The balloon around the helium disappears, I guess!

* * *

If atoms don't touch, does that mean I really don't have braces on my teeth?

GRRR DON'T TOUCH MY PAPER!!

* * *

Okay.

* * *

Eat?

* * *

DARK CHOCOLATE SLUGS! YUMMEH!

**Slugs, Claire? Really?**

Unnecessary, Hayden.

* * *

Bah! I don't wanna go to Gym!

DIE, GYM, DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* * *

That one is colder.

* * *

OMC

Pooja is leaving ASFA!

**Good.**

* * *

What if I was a fly?

…

Would you squash me?

* * *

Okay.

* * *

Oh my Edward! I must speak music with Josie!!

* * *

*I forget to write and we talk for forever. Eventually I get bored again.*

* * *

I wish I had bagpipes….

* * *

I'm sorry.

_You should be._

* * *

I have plenty to talk about, actually.

* * *

_Why won't you_

I just have nothing better to do.

* * *

Just kidding.

* * *

I SHALL NOT!

* * *

SHUT UP!!

* * *

_Let's go dump trays!_

* * *

**Houston?**


End file.
